As farmland speculation cases continue unabated, experts advise that amending the current Farmland Act is essential to fundamentally prevent the problem. They argue that restricting non-farmers' farmland ownership and strengthening land conversion standards are necessary to block speculation at its source.
In a phone interview with Seoul Economic Daily on the 26th, Sa Dong-cheon, a professor at Hongik University Law School specializing in farmland law, emphasized the need to abolish farmland ownership exceptions specified in the Farmland Act. He noted that with 16 exceptions currently allowing non-farmers to acquire farmland, restricting "quasi-legal acquisitions" has become difficult. "Ambiguous exceptions have ultimately fueled farmland speculation," Professor Sa said. "To prevent speculators from entering the market entirely, there should be no exceptions other than unavoidable circumstances such as inheritance or leaving farming."
Others point to the need for stricter farmland conversion standards under the Farmland Act. Ma Kang-rae, a professor of urban planning and real estate at Chung-Ang University, said, "The criteria for releasing agricultural promotion zones must be tightened to ensure farmland is actually used for farming purposes."
Lee Kang-hoon, an attorney at Duksu Law Firm, also noted, "Farmland nationwide is rapidly shrinking due to relaxed conversion permit standards. A total farmland quota should be established as policy to prevent decline below a certain level."
Given the reality of illegal farmland title trusts being conducted covertly, some suggest applying the "illegal cause payment" principle to the Farmland Act. Professor Sa explained, "We must reduce speculation incentives by preventing recovery of profits from illegally transferred property." He added that pre-screening should be strengthened to block fraudulent farming plans, and a post-management system should be established to continuously verify actual cultivation after acquisition.